Other Therapy and Assessment Technical Workers

(NOC 3237)

in All Health

This group includes workers who perform various technical therapy and assessment functions. Some may help professionals like audiologists, speech-language pathologists, ophthalmologists, physiotherapists, and occupational therapists. They work in hospitals, clinics, extended care facilities, rehabilitation centres, educational institutions, and in the private practices of the professionals they support.

Job Outlook

Good

Read more

  • Estimate Strong growth employment change, 2021-2023
  • Estimate 130 openings due to growth and retirements, 2021-2023
  • Estimate Low rate of unemployment in 2022

Compared to: All Health

  • Estimate 3550 employment change, 2021-2023
  • Estimate 6335 openings due to growth and retirements, 2021-2023
  • Estimate rate of unemployment not available for these occupation.

Hourly Pay

$20.75

Minimum

$24.00

Median

$29.60

Maximum

Annual Pay

$7,599

Minimum

$34,216

Median

$50,394

Maximum

Compared to: All Health

Hourly Pay

$16.70

Minimum

$26.60

Median

$43.30

Maximum

Annual Pay

$10,740

Minimum

$43,853

Median

$88,944

Maximum

About the job

Nature of work

This group includes workers who perform various technical therapy and assessment functions. Some may help professionals like audiologists, speech-language pathologists, ophthalmologists, physiotherapists, and occupational therapists. They work in hospitals, clinics, extended care facilities, rehabilitation centres, educational institutions, and in the private practices of the professionals they support.

Job duties

Hearing instrument practitioners:

  • Examine adult clients to assess hearing loss using diagnostic evaluation and electro acoustic testing.
  • Recommend and dispense appropriate type of hearing instrument.
  • Take earmold impressions for use in the manufacture of hearing devices.
  • Fit, adjust, and make minor modifications to hearing instruments.
  • Educate clients in appropriate use, care, and maintenance of hearing instruments.
  • Perform follow-up examinations and readjustments.

Audiometric technicians:

  • Under the supervision of audiologists, administer tests like pure tone hearing screening, impedance tests and noise level measurements using specialized equipment to determine hearing thresholds of patients.
  • Instruct patients on test procedures and record results.
  • Monitor, check and calibrate auditory equipment.
  • May take earmold impressions and fit and adjust hearing instruments.

Communicative disorders assistants and speech-language pathology assistants:

  • Help speech-language pathologists and audiologists during patient assessments.
  • Carry out treatment programs, document results and develop materials for use with patients, under the supervision of speech-language pathologists or audiologists.
  • Document patient rehabilitation progress.
  • Check and maintain therapeutic equipment and materials.

Ophthalmic medical assistants:

  • Use ophthalmic testing and measuring instruments to aid ophthalmologists in assessing patients' vision.
  • Record test results.
  • Help ophthalmologists in office surgery.
  • Administer eye drops, ointments and medications as directed by ophthalmologists.
  • Clean and maintain instruments and equipment used during examinations.
  • Take patients' general medical and ophthalmic history.
  • Perform various administrative duties.

Physiotherapy assistants and occupational therapy assistants:

  • Under the direction of physiotherapists and/or occupational therapists, carry out treatment programs like thermotherapy, traction, hydrotherapy, and electrotherapeutic techniques to rehabilitate patients with various injuries or disabilities to maximize their ability to independently manage daily activities.

Sample job titles

  • audiology technician
  • audiometrist
  • hearing aid dispenser
  • hearing aid practitioner
  • hearing assessment technician
  • hearing instrument practitioner
  • occupational therapy technician
  • ophthalmic assistant
  • physical therapist assistant (PTA)
  • physiotherapist assistant (PTA)
  • speech therapy aide
  • speech-language pathology assistant

Skills

  • You must be able to communicate effectively with people and demonstrate a strong sense of responsibility, good judgement, patience, and self-discipline. Therapists must be creative and unique in their approach to each client. The ability to inspire confidence and to motivate clients is important. A strong sense of responsibility, good judgement, and communication skills are also necessary.

Job requirements

  • Hearing instrument practitioners require completion of a three-year college diploma in a hearing instrument specialist program, including a period of supervised training.
  • Licensure with a regulatory body is required for hearing instrument practitioners in Nova Scotia. Hearing instrument practitioners can prescribe and dispense hearing instruments in Nova Scotia.
  • Audiometric technicians and communicative disorders and speech-language pathology assistants require completion of a 12- to 18-month college program in communicative disorders or some post-secondary education and on-the-job training.
  • Ophthalmic medical assistants require completion of a one- to two-year college program or a two-year hospital-based training program in ophthalmic medical technology or a minimum of one year of supervised practical training under an ophthalmologist and completion of an approved ophthalmic assistant home study program.
  • Physiotherapy assistants require completion of a two- to three-year college program in physical rehabilitation therapy or a two-year physical therapy assistant (PTA) program and supervised practical training.
  • Occupational therapy assistants require completion of a two-year occupational therapy assistant (OTA) college program.

Other considerations

  • Those not employed with public institutions or agencies are often self-employed in a private or group practice. In most provinces occupational therapy assistants (OTA) and physiotherapy assistants (PTA) receive training through a single OTA/PTA program in community colleges.

By the numbers

Quick look

380

employed in 2016

75.0%

employed full-time

0.0%

self employed

81.6%
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18.4%
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47.5

median age

Compared to: All Health

36,515

employed in 2016

75.7%

employed full-time

9.6%

self employed

83.6%
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16.4%
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43.5

median age

Where will I likely work?

55.3%

Halifax

$40,091 median annual income
13.2%

North Shore

$43,546 median annual income
13.2%

Cape Breton

$40,417 median annual income
9.2%

Southern

$32,754 median annual income
9.2%

Annapolis Valley

$35,484 median annual income

Compared to: All NS Occupations

47.0%

Halifax

15.6%

North Shore

12.9%

Annapolis Valley

12.7%

Cape Breton

11.8%

Southern

Top Industries of Employment

88.1%

Health care and social assistance

3.0%

Educational services

3.0%

Other services (except public administration)

3.0%

Public administration

3.0%

Retail trade

What is the age of Employment?

26.0%

45-54

21.0%

55-64

18.0%

15-24

17.0%

25-34

12.0%

35-44

6.0%

65+

Compared to: All Health

24.0%

25-34

23.9%

45-54

21.9%

35-44

18.4%

55-64

7.7%

15-24

Top levels of education

50.0%

College Diploma

$39,698 median annual income
22.4%

Bachelor

$35,509 median annual income
9.2%

High school

N/A
5.3%

Trade Certification

N/A
5.3%

Master

N/A

Compared to: All Health

38.4%

College Diploma

$40,033 median annual income
27.1%

Bachelor

$61,668 median annual income
8.7%

Medicine, Dentistry, Veterinary, Optometry

$81,191 median annual income
6.8%

High school

$24,829 median annual income
5.1%

Master

$69,296 median annual income

Education & training

Kinesiology and Exercise Science

College or University Program

These programs focus on the anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, and biophysics of human movement, and applications to exercise and therapeutic rehabilitation. They include courses in biomechanics, motor behaviour, motor development and coordination, motor neurophysiology, performance research, rehabilitative therapies, the development of diagnostic and rehabilitative methods and equipment, and related analytical methods and procedures in applied exercise and therapeutic rehabilitation.

Institutions providing this program

Acadia University

Wolfville, NS

Dalhousie University

Halifax, NS

St. Francis Xavier University

Antigonish, NS

Occupational Therapist/Physical Therapist Assistant

College or Trades Program

These programs prepare students, under the supervision of occupational therapists or physical therapists, to implement physical therapy treatment care plans, train patients, conduct treatment interventions, use equipment, observe and record patient progress, to direct patient participation in skill-enhancing, learning, and motivational tasks, correct or diminish pathologies, and to provide direct health education and promotion services. They include courses in occupational therapy like human lifespan development, occupational therapy principles and practice skills, treatment planning and implementation, record-keeping and documentation, patient education and intervention, activity and program direction, and assistive services management. They include courses in physical therapy like applied anatomy and physiology, applied kinesiology, principles and procedures of physical therapy, basic neurology and orthopedics, physical therapy modalities, documentation skills, psychosocial aspects of health care, wound and injury care, electrotherapy, working with orthotics and prostheses, and personal and professional ethics.

Institutions providing this program

Eastern College - Halifax

Halifax, NS

Universite Sainte-Anne

Pointe-de-l'Église, NS

Nova Scotia Community College

Various, NS

Employment requirements & contacts

Regulations

Hearing Aid Practitioner

Right to Practice: This job is regulated in Nova Scotia. A licence shows that the holder has met provincial requirements and is required to legally do this work.

Regulating body:
Service Nova Scotia and Municipal Relations
Halifax, NS

Contacts

Hearing Aid Society of Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia, Canada
Health Care Human Resource Sector Council
Bedford, NS
Canadian Ophthalmological Society
Ottawa, ON

Additional resources

There are no additional resources for this occupation.